I got a call from Organizing for America (Obama’s grass roots organization) asking me to support the reform bill the other day. This one is barely worth passing. We might be better off leaving the system and having a proper collapse before we start again in the next recession (which at the rate we’re going might be this one).

It’s looking increasingly like the Democrats on the Committee got rolled, and didn’t even care about that. Perhaps they felt that the risk of passage of something significant was greater than the risk of a quick loss of legislation that no one could get behind anyway.

I’m not allowed to call the Democrats a certain word beginning with P any more (even if John Stewart uses it all the time). But I can call them pusillanimous. And in your treat for the evening, here’s Marina from HotForWords to explain what that means.

Don. I dont know what you’re smoking this week but even John Goodman’s never claimed that we’re cheaper here than Europe! I would LOVE even a shred of proof that 25 years of health services research is wrong. And you need to get a calendar. Clinton’s reform plan was already on life support by late summer 2003 after he lost the unions on NAFTA and had to scrape the budget through Congress died effectively between Sept 2003 and Dec 31 2003 when he lost industry support (especiually the AMA’s) after proposing big cuts in Medicare to pay for it. The… Read more »

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10 years ago

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Barry Carol

While representatives from all stakeholder groups claim to want reform, or at least think the status quo is not sustainable, in the end, they all wind up paraphrasing the former Senator, Russell Long, with a cry of whatever you do, don’t cut you, don’t cut me, cut that fella behind the tree.
We should be asking every stakeholder group, what’s your (CBO scorable) contribution? Put up or shut up.

Matthew, You still want to imprison all of us in a 1990s style Medicaid HMO with powerful gate keepers denying care and angry physicians and providers making patients feel like pieces of meat. Reality shock hit Washington this week. Ted Kennedy’s killer bill not only would kill patients by denying care until many died but also by showing consumers how Obamacare would limit access to care. Most important, Kennedy has produced a bill that kills the chances of Obamacare being enacted because he not only shows how care would be rationed, but also how it would cost many times the… Read more »

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10 years ago

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Lynn

Matthew–
Only time will tell if Pres. Obama has the “gonads” of Lyndon Johnson in his fight for Medicare (Medicaid).
There isn’t any blood on the floor of committee chambers and the oval office yet.
You obviously have never actually witnessed sausage being made.
We have just completed batting practice with the teams trash talking before the first inning. Give it some more time. Reforming 1/6th of the economy isn’t easy and it won’t be cheap. But you are right to be worried watching the courage of our Congressional “leadership.”

Matt-
Just because the Congress is wimping out(not unexpected)you are underestimating the power that-
– A popular President can bring to the issue
– A restless US citizenry can bring to this central domestic issue
Ezra Klein and you are premature in your pronouncements of expected outcomes.
Dr.Rick Lippin
Southampton,Pahttp://medicalcrises.blogspot.com

I am not sure if “pusilanimousity” has won. Because the alternative is far more expensive. The loss is due to proper plan. I for one truly believe that we out to have some sort of tax funded plan – at least the wellness care part. And rest can be private insurance driven or by the system as it is. Here is a portion of that thought… Open community care clinics and make primary care responsible for that. Primary care will not only be a care giver but your health manager. They will decide and manage your wellness. Their incentive would… Read more »

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10 years ago

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MD as HELL

Healthcare “reform” will not work beause our country is about individual rights and freedom. There is nothing either free or individual about a federal system where the words “required” or “mandate” are involved. The Dems will have to cut Medicare and Social Security cost all by themselves without raiding the private healthcare cookie jar. Political hell. Love it.

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10 years ago

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Peter

I’ve repeatedly called Democrats spineless, not as eligant as pusillanimous, but no reason to reach for the dictionary. Just another example here. If anybody sinks Obama it will be his own party.

I come back to what I was saying when I first started reading this blog last year. The government’s role should be to bring the stakeholder groups within the system to the table. It must ensure that the discussion stays on track, and that each group gives something up in the name of a lower cost, higher quality system. No one can leave until all cost drivers are addressed and dealt with. That is the only conceivable way this can work. Our current government and political system is not conducive to making difficult decisions and devising effective solutions. It is… Read more »

Cowardice among politicians even before push comes to shove? Nothing new there.
Better than the video however is perusal of my favorite reference – the Indo-European roots section of the American Heritage Dictionary: pusill- from pou- cognate of current English “few”, pusus “child” in Latin, -ill (probably same as -ile in puerile) adjectival ending -animus root ane- to breathe.
“To breath like a child” That sounds like a description of talk from national politicians.

Don. As usual logic isn’t your strong suit.
a) we spend 17% of GDP–Europeans spend 10%. Yet somehow those Europeans have doctors for their seniors–even though it’s a greater share of their population. Somehow we should be able to cut spending and cover everybody, but we wont because of the P word
b) We dont count people who are unemployed longer than 6 months and whole lot more–yet we’re at 8.5% unemployed, they’re at 8.6%–counting it properly. http://tiny.pl/34vx
Your touching faith in the free market seems untroubled by recent events 🙂

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